Tosca for RW

[MDoodle]

Since I haven't heard too much about Tosca this time around for RW, I thought I'd start and see if anyone had anything to offer...

4 of us are going for dinner Friday night and are excited as none of us have ever been there. First off - is it trendy dressy, or conservative dressy? Or kind of whatever? Also, would love to hear about standout dishes that are currently on the menu. I can already tell I'm going to have a hard time choosing what to order :-). Feedback on experiences this week would be great!

[DCLindsey]

I'm going tonight so can report back tomorrow. But its definately conservative dressy -- not trendy dressy. Its more of a business type place, with subtle color scheme, etc. Excellent service (based on a past experience) but not flashy at all. One of the reasons I go during RW is that their full menu is offered at a great price, and that it is pretty subdued so its not a place my friends and I would typically pick for a Saturday night out. That being said, I went during January RW last year and it was great!

[colhghts]

I went on Tuesday. For a starter, I had the roasted veal and spinach ravioli. If I could have had that for all three courses, it would have been heaven! My dining companion had the scallops and octopus salad. It looked fantastic and she said it was. For entrees, I had the roasted monk fish and she had mmm, something that no longer appears on the menu! Rack of something or other with garlic mash. Sorry, I was so into my meal I didn't pay attention. The monk fish was delicious and beautifully prepared.

For dessert, we both had the "White warm chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate ice cream and kumquat compote," which while tasty, the cake tasted like a corn muffin!

Service was excellent. We went after work, so we were business-dressed.

[KWynn]

Yes, more conservative than funky.

We make this regular trip during RW (I think last night was our 3rd visit during a RW).

First couse my husband and I shared two pastas: the veal ravioli mentioned above and a carrot parpardelle with a rabbit ragu. Both were phenomenal, although I think the parpardelle slightly edged out the ravioli. I agree that I would gladly go back just for the pastas--they consistently have some of the best pastas I've ever had and we always say we'll go back just for past and wine during non-RW, but never seem to get back there!

Main courses included the rack of veal for my husband, which he loved but I thought was just okay (I think I prefer veal scallopine to rack of veal), and I had the simply grilled fish--I went for the rockfish. Mine was beautifully presented with sauteed swiss chard and tomato mashed potatoes (a beautiful shade of orange) on the side. All of the items on my plate I enjoyed, although the fish needed a little pepper (which the waiter offered before I had to ask) and the lemon which was served on the side.

For dessert he got the warm white chocolate cake and I got the buckwheat crepes. I wasn't impressed with either, although my husband enjoyed his. For past RW's they've had a molten [dark] chocolate cake which we both loved, but it wasn't on the menu this year.

Agree on service as well--we didn't feel rushed and the courses were timed nicely.

[MDoodle]

I kind of assumed conservative. Would love to hear about your experience!

I'm curious about the branzino...anyone had?

[DCLindsey]

I went last night and wanted to report back. We had a 9:30 reservation and despite the crappy weather, it was full. The service is efficient and good but because of the efficiency, if anyone in your group is a slow decider or likes to linger over the menu, you may suggest them looking over it before you go. I didn't feel pressured to leave but at the same time, "efficient" seems to describe the evening.

One thing I think makes restaurants stand out during RW is including the little side perks that they normally serve and not making you feel like you are slumming it. Tosca provided bread and a small dish of olives with some salami (or similar cured meat).

I had the butternut squash tortelini and my bf had the veal and spinach raviolil. I thought mine was great but it was actually pretty sweet and would have been a fantastic dessert. The veal was great (as it was last time - we don't branch out apparently).

For mains, I got the quail, which I thought was good. I've never actually ordered quail so I was totally outside the realm of food I know anything about. The guy at the table next to us apparently is a big fan of quail and he wouldn't stop raving about it. Bf had the monkfish which was also very good. Both of us agreed that the pastas outshine the mains, mainly because having homemade pasta of such high quality is much more rare than having a good piece of fish.

Dessert was a bit of a hit and miss. Bf like the profiteroles were good but my standards are a bit higher. I totally struck out -- I got the buckwheat crepes with chestnut moouse. It sounded good but I think they must make them on a griddle that is either greased with lard or some other animal fat because they tasted like bacon. (Like when you make pancakes and bacon in the morning and it all kind of ends up tasting the same -- like that). I noticed it, and my bf noticed it when I mentioned it to him. The woman next to me didn't like them either and wasn't eating hers so I mentioned the bacon element and she also agreed. The waiter noticed that I wasn't eating it so asked what was wrong and brought me pistacio gelato instead. The gelato was amazingly good and the situation was fixed.

It was a great meal and the only problem was quickly fixed!

[chowstarter]

I also went to Tosca last night, around 8. Two of the three of us showed up half an hour early (when relying on public transportation in DC - you can never tell) and were allowed to wait at out table which I really appreciated.

I have to ask/mention - we did NOT receive the olives and salami- I saw them on others tables and did feel a bit left out as those are two additions I would have appreciated b/w courses. That makes me really sad that we were forgotten - is it really a rw feature or just a lucky oversight? Perhaps I will call later on to check...

I also had the pappardelle with rabbit ragu which I believe was out of this world- I wish I could eat it daily. The flavors were fabulous. One at my party had the butternut squash ravioli which had a wonderful flavor- too sweet for me to eat more than an appetizer version but I know she did not share the same concern. The other person at our party ordered a plan green salad- i didn't try it but he didn't complain (I still don't know why he ordered that).

For mains I got the monkfish and agree, it was subtle and the flavors were elegant and well balanaced. There was also an order of the sea bass which was good but not great - the fish was very thin and the sauce, while really quite delicious, did not pair well will such a thin piece of fish. It was atop some amazing swiss chard. The other diner had an AMAZING lamb with creamy polenta which was by far the star entree - a good portion and just delicious. The pastas stood out for me but the lamb was really quite perfect.

The desserts were fine, profiteroles were standard, the panna cotta although I was quite pleased with and the crepes were ...different. I really did enjoy the flavor but felt they were lacking a certain dessert feel. In fact, they would have gone well with bacon for a sweet breakfast.

I highly recommend Tosca during RW - i cant afford three courses during a NORMAL night however will probably return for some amazing pasta!

[colhghts]

Forgot to mention that on Tuesday, we received the olives/salami, too. Chowstarter, I guess you were just forgotten!

[KWynn]

We seem to have been forgotten too...on Wednesday night we weren't offered anything other than bread, and while their foccacia was good, they brought out amuse bouches to many of the other tables around us (once we were waiting on dessert). Not sure if it was luck of the draw or what, but it would've been nice to get the same treatment.

[MDoodle]

I'm pretty tempted to try the pappardelle w/rabbit ragu even though I've never tried rabbit and am a bit apprehensive...I hear so many great things about it though!

Also - is there anywhere right near Tosca for a pre-dinner drink? For some reason I can't envision what else is in that area.

[chowstarter]

This is a great way to try rabbit if you're apprehensive, as a ragu, it was more of a ground meat, looked a lot like pork. I do recommend, if you have a chance, to try rabbit after in other forms as its delicious if prepared correctly. AND the dish was just fantastic- i highly recommend it

[MDoodle]

Quick report from last night at Tosca - overall, it was good. I agree with the fact that the pastas are the highlight on the menu (one at our table had the veal ravioli and raved about it, I had the olive oil poached grouper raviolis and really loved those too), and it appeared that the best entree at the table was the lamb. The service started out well, but started to go downhill, especially at the end when we waited and waited for the check, and then waited and waited for the server to bring it back. It would have been about an hour and a half dinner had it not been for all the waiting (which would have been perfect) but that turned it into nearly two hours and made us all a bit tired...and it did cost the server a few bucks in tip (the other couple dining with us are both servers, and were just as unimpressed with the service toward the end as I was). OH, we did get the olives and salami along with the bread, it was a nice touch.

All in all - Tosca was good. If i return - I'll definitely be trying more of the pastas, and skip the mains...and the dessert (though the vanilla gelato that came with the white chocolate cake was quite good!)

[DCDOLL]

We are going to Tosca for the first time tonight and i'm pumped! Everyone talks about how expensive it is but according to the website they have a 3 course pre theater menu that is $35 every night of the week til 7. That sounds like a bargain to me esp for such good food, atmosphere & service. Will report back.

[DCDOLL]

OK so we went to Tosca last night. They open at 5:30 and the valet showed up right as we pulled up. The valet is only $5 there which is a real bargain. We sat at the bar and had a glass of wine and some olives. I was a little surprised when a family w/ 2 little boys came in and wanted to sit at the bar (i think they seated them early instead). Anyway we sat down at 6; i had requested a nice private table and they sat us at the window in this alcove table for 4 (2 of us) which was GREAT! The acoustics in that place are weird though...you could hear convo's on the other side of the room. I told them they needed to have music in the restaurant; the waiter said they did but it just wasn't very loud in our part of the room. Anyway, the service was wonderful; your water glass never got below 3/4 full and we had bread and olives & ham immediately. We ordered a nice Super Tuscan which came out of the cellar at the right temp thank goodness. We asked that it be decanted and that was done right away. The pre theater menu was right on the table and the waiter pointed it out as well. It is quite extensive and available til 7 every night. I had the house made mozzarella and parma ham app with watercress (there was a huge amount of ham on the plate). This was very tasty. Hubby had the veal ravioli app. I had the veal ravioli for my main course; it had a sage butter sauce that was delicious but really rich. Hubby had the pork tenderloin. It was tasty too. Then he had the tiramisu and i had the amaretto/chocolate custard with cherry sauce and berries. His dessert was ok but mine was YUMMY!!! i had them box up 2/3 of the entree so i could eat all the dessert. The wine was poured frequently for us (we have been to some places where you end up pouring it yourself....) and the service was attentive but not obtrusive. I could smell the espresso and wanted some but i was really full and just had no room. The room is sort of understated, all earth tones and the crowd was a mixture but mostly older and very well dressed (i appreciate that myself). There appeared to be some regulars in the crowd which i always find to be a good sign. Anyway it was quite a nice experience and the $35 menu is a real bargain. We'll definitely go again.

[dinwiddie]

"The wine was poured frequently for us (we have been to some places where you end up pouring it yourself....) and the service was attentive but not obtrusive."

I agree that the service at Tosca is great, but personally, I prefer to pour my own wine and always ask that the server allow me to do so after the initial pours. but then, most of us wine geeks would prefer to do so.

[dcandohio]

I agree. Most places are very accommodating, but I think we created hurt feelings once at Komi...we had to reassure the wait person that we really, truly preferred to do it ourselves...and not that he was going to do something wrong. Servers don't always pour to our preferred pacing, or don't try to keep things fairly "equal" among imbibers. So we just try to tell servers in advance that we really enjoy pouring our own wine.

[dinwiddie]

The only time I think I ever caused any hurt feelings was at a place (which I won't name) that insisted on putting the wine bucket across the room from our table (which probably had as much to do with space as anything else) and I kept having to tell the server not to add any wine to my wife's glass when he brought the bottle over. Some folks just can't seem to get that not everyone drinks the same amount or at the same pace.

As I have mentioned before, I belong to a wine group that takes lots of wine to various restaurants about once a month. I often want the wine in my glass to sit for a while so I can see how it develops without it being "topped off." While simply putting your hand over your glass works, sometimes I don't notice when the sneaky little bloke comes up behind me and it is too late. I have also had a server pour a zinfandel into my glass that had Pinot Noir in it. Now I love good blends, but I prefer to let the winemaker decide the blend, and I never blend PN with another wine. :)

[DCDOLL]

i consider myself a wine connoseur as well, having been to Napa/Sonoma/Amador and Oregon, Italy, France and other lesser known wine regions several times and with a room in my home dedicated as a wine cellar. I guess it is a matter of personal preference...i just never want to risk getting red wine on my clothes if it splashes out of the decanter wrong.... :)

[ktmoomau]

I am with you I don't like having to pour my own wine. But I like very attentive service. I know this is a big disagreement, but I think some servers just judge the crowd, and I appreciate that, I think it works out best for everyone. (I know this is a little old, but there was a big discussion on Ask Tom)

I actually really enjoyed the flavors of the rabbit in the papparadelle Jolivore, maybe your dish was off, but rabbit isn't the most flavorful meat. I truly enjoyed it. Very Northern Italian in a good way. But I agree their new deconstructed desserts didn't do it for me.

[jolivore]

It's very formal, suits for the men in general. I was molto disapppinted in what I ate, from the pappardelle with rabbit which was little bits of hard to taste rabbit drenched in butter, too rich to finish; a sardines and mullet appetizer which seemed a bit flat to me, and terrific grilled octopus. Also great bread, the squash blossoms were tasty, and clumsy desserts (such as fruit cobblers with nubbins of undercooked dough. I'm not a local, and this place made me wonder about DC.

[DCDOLL]

what a shame...its' one of the better nice restaurants in DC and we've always had wonderful meals there. The spinach raviolis with veal and butter sage sauce make you want to slap your mama...they are that good...